Anthanasius (Anthan) Vaduva has been alive too long. After more than four and half millennia, he had given up any hope of meeting his One and is tempted to walk into the sun.

Reluctantly agreeing to partner with Martin, another hunter, Anthan comes face to face with his pain and envy when Martin meets his One.

After helping Martin recover his One’s sister who has been taken by a strigoi, Anthan decides he’d had enough.

Will he finally end it all or will he wait and hope to finally meet the One destined for him all those thousands of years ago?

STORY EXCERPT

For 4,482 years he has hunted, he has slept—that’s it. His first hunt was when he was eleven years old. Now he is 4,493.

Too old.

Too long.

Too lonely.

That has been his life.

Early on, he used to dream, he used to hope but that hope has long gone. The temptation to walk into the sun is with him constantly.

Do you know? He reveals, I stay out longer and longer each day. The pain from the sun on my body is all that reminds me that I am still alive. Each time I rise I wonder if it will be the day I finally take one risk too many.

So he fights against those risks.

To stay that extra minute too long in the sun.

To drop his guard intentionally when he fights the strigoi.

At the moment he still constantly wages war with the strigoi but at the same time he also constantly wages it within himself. No one should have to live this long alone. He is afraid that if he were ever to meet his One, he could never return the love given. All his emotions are lost so deeply within that he doubt they even exist anymore. In fact, he has reach a point where he doesn’t think it would be fair to her or him—to love someone who could not love in return.

So now he thinks maybe it’s better to end it all now.

What chance does he have?

None.

Yet once again he rises.

Once again he hunts.

Once again he battles within his heart and soul. Each day passes, each one the same—as the millennia flow past him.

And each time he wakes he wonders who will win this day, this month, this year, this century?

He confesses to himself, How much longer can I do this?

* * * *

Martin walked in and kissed Avril’s cheeks.

“ Live şi lupta cu onoarea, Avril.”

“ Live şi lupta cu onoarea, Martin.”

“Come sit. It’s good to see you.”

“You look even more beautiful Avril, a Hunter’s life suits you.”

“Thank you. It’s good to see you again, Martin.”

She led him to a comfortable chair on the balcony overlooking the distant mountains. She and Viorel were living in their house in Piteşti, Romania. Viorel walked in, Martin stood and greeted him.

“ Live şi lupta cu onoarea, Viorel.”

“ Live şi lupta cu onoarea, Martin.”

Martin sat back down on the chair. Viorel sat nearby, pulling a smiling Avril onto his lap and kissing her cheek.

“How were your parents?”

“They’re both good.” Martin shook his head wryly. “My mother is talking about having another child and my Dad thinks she is crazy but in the end she’ll win.”

“Knowing your mother I’d have to agree. Did you visit your relations as well?”

“Yeah I spent a week with my great uncle, at least that’s what I call him.”

Martin grinned to himself when he thought about the old man. He was a descendant of Martin’s father’s brother. He was in his late eighties and complained he was getting older. He would call Martin by his true name, Omasekew, which meant “a fighter” in Cree. The old man would make Martin do things for him, telling the others that Martin had young feet while his were so ancient. Martin loved it.

The old man knew the truth and the pair laughed together when they were alone. To Martin “Uncle” was a baby. Only a few members of the tribe knew what Martin really was. Many thought he was a piyêsiw, a “thunderbird,”sent to watch over them. It made sense as he would often arrive as a bird and had destroyed a strigoi that had been preying on the people using a lightning bolt. They believed his father had married a piyêsiw-iskwêw “thunderbird woman” and that was how Martin came to be.

“The old man looks so frail. The tribe look up to him, I know it will be hard for them when he leaves. It will be hard for me and Dad.”

It saddened him to leave knowing the old one would not live for many more years.

“That’s the worst part of being a Hunter, losing so many friends and relations over the eons,” Viorel said sadly. “And it just doesn’t get any easier with the passing years either.”

The two men sat thoughtfully, both lost in thoughts of family and friends long gone. Avril wondered how she would cope when her mother passed. She didn’t have any other family alive and her mother meant the world to her.

They were all silent for a while, relaxing in the early evening twilight. The sun had set over the distant Ciucaş Mountains. Viorel broke their reverie.

“That strigoi in Smokey Hills was rather active wasn’t it?”

ADULT EXCERPT

She opened her eyes and looked into his. Nervously she stretched her hands behind her back and unclasped her brassiere. She pushed the straps off her shoulders and it fell forward. Her magnificent breasts fell free.

Anthan stared.

They were amazing, full and plump and ripe. He reached out to run his hand across them. The nipples pebbled even harder. He marvelled. Her breasts were so soft but the nipples so hard. He wanted to taste them. He sat up and leant forward to breathe in her fragrance. He ran a line of kisses down her throat until he reached the swell.

Carefully he took on pebbled point into his mouth. He rolled it around his tongue then he sucked it. He was rewarded by Erica’s moan. With his hand, he began to massage the other breast, playing with its peak. Erica’s hand moved to his head and held him tightly against her breasts. He continued to lave the nipple in his mouth with his tongue. All the while his cock felt harder and harder, till it hurt.

Erica dropped her hand from his head and Anthan stopped sucking. He sat back a little and looked at her. Her face was flushed and she was panting slightly.

“Anthan.” Breathlessly she spoke, her face blushed. “I… um…I’ve never been with anyone. I’m not sure…” she stammered nervously.

Anthan couldn’t stop the silly grin on his face. She looked worried. He leant forward and kissed her then took a breath.

“Neither have I.”

Her eyes widened as she took in what he said.

“Oh.”

“We can learn together.”

Erica threw herself into his arms. Then pulled back and jumped off the bed. She quickly stripped off blushing even more then grabbing the blankets slid underneath into his arms. He removed his clothes quickly, in the way of all Hunters.

He kissed her again and again. His heart was singing. He could feel his love for her growing with every passing second and that wasn’t the only thing growing.

His cock was so hard, he was worried. Was this normal?

Erica turned slightly in his arms and her leg brushed against it. He couldn’t stop his groan. She grinned wickedly and he almost jumped when he felt her hand wrap around it.

“Oh my god, Anthan!”

She lifted the covers and peered down.

“How on earth will that fit?”

He laughed.

“I have no idea.”

He latched onto the nipple that was closest to his mouth, delighting when it pebbled even more. He squeezed her breast, she moaned so he sucked a little harder.

“Oh more yes.”

He bit it gently and was surprised when she screamed softly. He stopped, sure he’d hurt her.

“No.” She panted. “Want more, harder.”

He obliged. Rolling the nipple between his teeth and using his tongue, he teased at it then bit down. The hand on his cock tightened. He wanted more so he drop his hand down to nestle between her legs. She moved them apart slightly. He tangled his fingers in the hair. All the while, he kept sucking and biting.

She was so wet. He rubbed his fingers up and down, then found a hard pebble. He concentrated his efforts on it and Erica screamed in pleasure. He dropped the nipple from his mouth. Anthan wanted to see more. He pushed her onto her back and wriggled down the bed, throwing the covers aside.

He spread her legs wider and settled between them. Using one hand he pulled aside the reddened lips and marvelled at how wet she was. The aroma of her arousal was driving him a little crazy. He looked at the hardened nub and bent forward to lick then suck it.

Erica whispered, “Ah. Oh yes.” She shouted, “Fuck yes!”

He kept sucking at it then used his fingers to rub up and down before pushing them between the lips and into her hot channel. He felt Erica clamp down on his fingers and then she seemed to hold herself tight. She screamed a drawn out shout of his name.

“Anthan!”

He felt her muscles spasming on his fingers and knew she had come. It wasn’t enough, he wanted more. He wanted to be inside her. Pushing his fingers against her clit, she was still moaning so he knelt between her legs.

Holding his cock against the entrance to her, he began to rub it up and down. Then he pushed it gently against the barrier. He didn’t want to hurt Erica, so he kept his fingers caressing her clit. He leant his head down to take one nipple in his mouth, sucking and nibbling at it as he pushed his cock inside her.

She gave a gasp of pain. He stopped.

She pleaded. “Don’t stop.”

He was unsure but he felt Erica lift her buttocks slightly, opening her legs wider, so he pushed a little more. He felt the barrier tear as her breath was coming in little gasps.

She cried in pain then shouted as he got his cock deeper and deeper into her.

“Oh god yes Anthan!”

Anthan thrust slowly in. He felt her sheath widen as he entered, slowly he moved forward until his cock was seated deep within her. He began to thrust in and out. Her nails were in his back. He wanted to come but he wanted her to as well.

He pulled out a little way then push slowly back in. She pleaded with him.